New beginnings
by GearfriedTheSynchro
Summary: A new tournament has begun and Z and his friends can't wait for it. But something is going on, and they need the help of the signers to prove it.
1. A New Evil

This story is merely fictional. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. All copyright goes to Konami. Any fictional characters belong to me or other people.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Bryan Adams and welcome to Duel Watch. I'm here with my partner Angela Mills and today we will be telling you, our viewers, of the new upcoming tournament. This tournament is called the 'New Beginnings Tournament' and it will take place three months from now and will have some participants using the new Xyz monsters in a beta test. It should be interesting to note that while nearly all pros are using this new mechanic, one rookie is going to be using his custom made deck, as it involves Xyz summon created by him. According to reports, Maximillion Pegasus fell in love with the idea of the archetype and henceforth gave him an invitation to the tournament. This tournament will also include popular duelists such as Yusei Fud-"

The TV screen went blank at this point. The viewers were now bored of the announcement and one of them was jumping up and down with excitement.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE WE ARE ALL INVITED TO ONE OF THE BIGGEST TOURNAMENTS EVER!" said Z. Z was a 13 year old and he was the 'rookie' who was invited to the tournament, something he was definitely excited about, as all his friends would be there. His best friend, Jeremy stood up and opened his mouth.

"Keep in mind that we got invited 'cause we're in loads of tournaments. You're the rookie who got in because Pegasus came by Crash Town". Jeremy was ranked 8th in the world of duelists and was a favourite to win the tournament. He was only a few months older than Z and had been best friends with him since they were 5. Z then did the most appropriate thing at that time. He facefell.

"I'm a damn good duelist and you know it. It's just the rest of the world doesn't but that's about to change cause you and me are gonna dominate this tournament with the rest of our friends. Right?" said Z. He couldn't hide the grin on his face. A girl, Jessica stood up and slapped them both in the head.

"YOU BOYS ARE SO IMMATURE" screamed Jessica at the top of her voice, almost deafening the people in the room. Jessica had just turned 13 and was the youngest one there. She had black hair that went down to her shoulders and green emerald eyes that always attracted the boys. She was quite the looker as well. No matter how she looked though, she was still a ferocious duelist and had won quite a number of tournaments over her time of dueling. She was ranked 13th and was also a favourite for the tournament. She took preparing for tournaments more seriously than the others and her training usually paid off as shown by her win record.

"God sake Jessica. Try not to deafen everyone will you?" said Jeremy. Jeremy was basically a male version of Jessica with a few exceptions. First off, Jeremy's hair was quite short and had a natural brown colour to it and he also had brown hazel eyes. He was the 'heartthrob' of dueling and seemed to always attract a group of fan girls. He however ignored them; not caring much about the girls he got. His life was focused on dueling for fun and as long as he accomplished that, it took a lot to stop him.

"Too late for that. I'm already deaf in one ear" said Z. Z was simply the opposite of Jeremy. Though he had Jeremy's length of hair, he had Jessica's colour. His blue eyes were one of the first things you noticed about him. His deck was custom made, thanks to Pegasus, so for a while had held the element of surprise over his opponents but others had quickly memorized his deck. That didn't stop him from winning though as his quick 'think on your feet' strategy always seemed to work. Z lived with his grandfather Klaus in Crash Town and longed to get out of Crash Town. He told himself that this tournament was the key to leaving and was determined to come out on top.

(Change Scene)

Darkness covered the room with only 5 candles providing any kind of light. 12 people sat on high chairs with a large dark aura surrounding each and every one of them. In the centre was one large unoccupied chair, which seemed to belong to the leader of these people. Dark opera music began to fill the room as a man in the black coat walked towards the empty chair. The music rose as he became closer to the chair and came to a halt as he sat down. He opened his mouth and his voice, so dark that even Roman Goodwin would shiver, boomed out across the room.

"Our plan has worked. The fool Pegasus has begun to plan the tournament and our targets are already invited and training as we speak. Our spy found these pictures a few days ago so we now know who we are looking for."

As he said this, a picture of Z, Jeremy and Jessica walking through Crash Town was shown and they were all wearing the standard Crash Town duel disk, which was built to resemble a gun. One of the dark-cloaked figures was examining the picture very carefully, suggesting that he was eager to complete this mission. The man at the centre addressed him.

"Ah Shadow, it seems you are very interested in this mission. You will be sent out. I want you to duel the girl and take her hostage after you win. The men will surely show up and then we will brainwash them to do our bidding. These 3 are meant to play something important and we cannot let that happen. I am trusting you with this and I suggest you don't fail me unless you like dire consequences." As he spoke, a black duel disk materialised around his arm and a dark aura emanated from his deck. Shadow gave a quick nod then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

(Change Scene)

"Hey Jeremy, race you to the hideout. Loser has to give Grandpa Klaus a foot rub!" shouted Z. This obviously wasn't pleasant as the next thing he knew, Jeremy had ran past Z at top speed, determined to make it to the safe house. Little did they know though that Shadow, still covered in darkness, was watching them with a malicious glare in his eyes. He was making sure that the girl would not escape his sights and let out a huge grin as she came round the corner, armed with her duel disk as professional duelists always were. Locking his eyes on the target, his hand generated a dark orb and was ready to fire, until he was punched in the back of the head that is.

"Trying to attack someone behind their back huh? Well it looks like you just got beat at your own game" said the mysterious voice. Shadow turned around and came face to face with a boy, round about 14, standing above him. The boy has a long black coat reaching down to his knees and dark red hair that was a little messed up. His eyes had a mysterious darkness to it. He was quite strong, evident by the mark he had left on Shadow's face with his foot. The boy quickly looked up and saw Z, Jeremy and Jessica running towards the pair. Z stopped in his tracks upon seeing the boy.

"Tengu? What the hell are you doing here?" said Z, the confusion evident in his voice. Jeremy also had a look of confusion upon seeing the boy, apparently called Tengu. Jessica seemed more confused as to why Z and Jeremy were confused. Tengu, however, let out a grin.

"Hey Z, hey Jeremy. It's been a while guys. Always knew I would find you at the old hideout but apparently you had company, who was also being targeted by this bastard. Anyway, you want this guy or can I take care of him?" Shadow used this moment to grab Tengu and shout in his face. His demonic voice didn't even seem to affect anyone there, as if they had all seen worse.

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH THE DEMON THAT IS SHADOW, DUELIST OF THE NECRO LEADERS" He was seething with anger and it didn't exactly help when Tengu popped a mint into his mouth, mumbling something about how Shadow needed to brush better. At this moment, Shadow activated his duel disk. He didn't even need to say anything as Tengu realised what was about to happen and lifted his own duel disk, taking his place as the 3 spectators stepped back.

"First off, let's set the stakes." said Tengu, locking eyes with Shadow as he said so. "If I win, then you tell me everything you know about these Necro leaders you apparently work for. In fact, every time you lose 1000 life overall, you tell me one fact about you guys. Now, do we have a deal or are you still busy making your own stakes?" Upon hearing the word 'stakes'; Shadow had a grin across his face. This boy had assaulted him and would not go unpunished.

"You deserve to be punished, puny boy, So here are my stakes. If I win, you will be sent to the Shadow Realm where our leader will torture you. However, if I win without taking any damage, you will join our group and become a Necro duelist, forced to serve us until our goal is complete" Shadow gave an evil glare at Tengu as he finished his stakes. Tengu gave a silent nod and both duelists took their place and readied their decks.

(Tengu: 8000, Shadow: 8000)

Shadow drew a card, beginning his turn."I'll start off. I play Dark Fusion, fusing Elemental HERO Avian (3/1000/1000) and Elemental HERO Burstinatrix (3/1200/800) to summon Evil HERO Inferno Wing (6/2100/1200)!"

Two monsters appeared behind Shadow. One was a large feathered man while the other was an almost naked woman wielding fireballs in her hand. Suddenly a bright light consumed both of them. When the light faded, a woman emerged. She had long dark wings, claws that looked strong enough to make a giant ogre into sushi, and a red attire with a cape reaching down to her feet. As brilliant as a start that was, Shadow wasn't done.

"Then I'll play two cards face-down and activate the Card of Sanctity, letting us draw until we hold 6 cards.

Firstly, two vertical, brown backed-cards appeared behind Inferno Wing, then 7 cards fell in from the sky. One flew towards Tengu while the other 6 landed in Shadow's hand. Shadow then waved his hand to Tengu, signalling the end of his turn.

Tengu drew his card, giving him a hand size of 7. He didn't even attempt to hide the satisfaction at his hand. Z and Jeremy exchanged looks; they knew what was coming.

"I think it's about time you saw real power. I summon Chronian Knight (4/0/0) in attack mode. When summoned, I'm allowed to add 1 Chronian monster to my hand, namely Chronian Hope (4/0/0)."

A monster suddenly appeared in front of Tengu. He had a shining blue armour surrounding his body along with a sword and shield that matched the colour of his armour. His sword suddenly glowed and sent a strange aura to Tengu's deck, until eventually it found a card and added it to his hand. Tengu quickly played a card facedown and ended his turn. Shadow laughed at this opening.

"Seven cards in your hand and you summon a monster with 0 attack points? Either you're a terrible duelist of your deck is just awful. Anyway I'll be starting my turn now and I'll play another Dark Fusion, fusing Evil HERO Infernal Gainer (4/1600/0) and Gramnarg the Rock Monarch (6/2400/1000) in order to summon Evil HERO Dark Gaia (8/?/0) and his attack is equal to the monsters used for the summon, giving him a grand total of 4000!"

Behind Inferno Wing appeared a large beast. It's wing span stretched for miles and it took a fighting stance, ready to strike at it's enemy, specifically Tengu. Shadow revealed a card from his hand and maliciously laughed.

"I take it you recognize Mystical Space Typhoon? Well this card is just brilliant in my opinion as it's about to take out your face-down!" This move proved useful as Tengu's Mirror Force was erased into nothingness. Shadow then mumbled something and Gaia launched an attack upon Chronian Knight and was ready to erase the monster into nothingness, until an magical barrier stopped it. Tengu let out a wide grin as he revealed a card in his hand.

"I take it you remember the Chronian Hope I added last turn? Well his effect is that when a Chronian monster battles I can discard this little guy and the battle phase immediately ends. So I guess I had a plan to stop you anyway. Is that all or are you going to try something else."

Shadow let out a low growl and placed another two cards face-down, giving his 4 cards in his spell and trap zone. He then ended his turn in silence.

Tengu drew another card from his deck, the determination never leaving his eyes. He examined his hand along with the field, calculating every possible strategy. His eyes widened as an idea struck him. It was bold but, considering his opponent's field, he had to try it.

"Well, here goes something. First, I'll use Heavy Storm to destroy every single one of those face-downs."

A giant hurricane flew across the field, destroying all of Shadow's back row which included; 2 Call of the Haunteds, one Mirror Force, and a My Body as a Shield.

"And that isn't all because now I activate the spell Double Summon which lets me have an additional summon this turn but I'll be summoning both straight away. Come on out Chronian Magician and Chronian Dark Angel (4/0/0) x2!"

Two more monsters appeared to aide Chronian Knight. The first was an old mage with a skull for a face and a large sceptre orb, The second had the appearance of a fallen angel with dark wings to match Inferno Wing's. Shadow had no idea why Tengu was using cards with 0 attack but he had a feeling he was about to find out. Tengu gave a devious smile.

"Tell me Shadow, have you heard of the new summoning mechanic, Xyz summon? By the look on his face, Shadow has but Tengu continued anyway."Let me explain. When you have a certain number of monsters with the same level, you can overlay them as Xyz material in order to Xyz summon a Xyz monster with the same rank as the level. So for example level 4 monsters make rank 4 monsters. So now I'll be overlaying my 3 level 4 monsters in order to Xyz summon Chronian Queen (R4/0/0)!"

Everybody watched as the 3 monsters turned into stars and formed a galactic star. A bright light blinded every watcher and a figure emerged. When the light dispersed Shadow could see it was a female. She had white hair that reached down to her knees and a long blouse that just passed her waistline. An open blue coat surrounded her body below the neck. She was truly beautiful.

"And now for her affect. By detaching an Xyz material, all your monsters attacks are reduced to 0! I think I'll detach my Magician to use her effect. Go Royal Weakening!"

The woman took her sword from it's holder and chanted something in an unknown language. The sword suddenly released a burst of blue magic and caused Gaia and Inferno Wing to drop to their knees. Shadow watched helplessly as his monsters were reduced to weaklings, so weak that even a Kuriboh could defeat them.

"Next up I'll use Monster Reborn to bring back Chronian Magician. And while he's been special summoned and is on the field, all Chronians gain 500 attack (0/0 – (500/0)X2. Now Queen attack with Chronian's Slash and Magician, attack with Chronian Magic. GO!"

The woman charged up her sword and dashed at Gaia slicing him in half while the mage launched a sphere that opened a dark hole behind Inferno Wing, trapping her in eternal darkness.

(Shadow: 7000, Tengu: 8000)

"That's what I call the Chronian Bitchslap. Now you better start talking 'cause we had a deal!"

Shadow obviously wasn't a man of his word as he remained silent. Tengu growled and set a card before ending his turn.

"My turn already? I will now use the spell card Monster Reborn to revive Evil HERO Infernal Gainer (4/1600/0) but he won't be staying long because I sacrifice him to summon Evil HERO Effect Devil (6/2200/1300) and when he's summoned I can negate the effect of one monster on the field and I choose your queen!"

A large devil arose from the ground. Suddenly a wave of blood washed through Chronian Queen and consumed her. When she emerged, she was down on one knee The devil suddenly leapt and tore the queen apart in a flash of it's claws. The gore made Tengu want to barf but he held a steady face for the sake of the duel.

(Shadow: 7000 Tengu: 5800)

"When my Devil destroys a monster by battle I can select one spell in my graveyard. This may only be allowed once per duel but it's worth it so I can use the Card of Sanctity again!"

For the second time that duel; both players drew until they held 6 cards. Shadow let out a grin before 2 brown-backed cards appeared and he ended his turn.

"Ok, that hurt, you're going to pay for that. My draw!" yelled Tengu, drawing his next card vigorously. He grinned and inserted a card into his field spell slot. "I play the field spell Chronia!"

Suddenly, a tower erupted from the ground, showing jewellery of all shapes and sizes. Two cliffs rose from either side of the field, elevating the duelists even further. Chronian Magician grinned, he was home.

"While this kingdom is on the field, all my Chronian monsters gain a 1000 point boost, and it doesn't end there because now I summon my Chronian Magician Girl (0/0)!" Suddenly, a young woman arose from the ground, and a smile of joy crossed her face upon seeing her master. "And while Chronian Magician is on the field, all my Chronians gain 1500 attack, putting their current attacks up to 3000!

Suddenly, the two magicians grew in size, until they both gave off a impressive glow. The magician fired a green blast at the demon while the girl hit Shadow over the head with her sceptre.

(Shadow: 3200 Tengu: 5800)

"I'll then set a card to end my turn. Your move bozo"

Shadow was seething with anger, This useless human was countering him without even breaking a sweat. He drew in anger and laughed at the arrival.

"I PLAY DARK HOLE! DIE YOU PATHETIC WEAKLING."

A vortex grew over the field, sucking any monster into the crevice and leaving the land of Chronia bare of any residents. Shadow then continued.

"Now that you are defenceless, I will play the Revival from the Darkness spell. This allows me to revive Evil Hero Dark Gaia from my graveyard with the attack he gained when he was summoned. ARRIVE, MY DEMON! (8/4000/0)

The demon that had previously fallen at the hands of Chronian Queen reappeared, looking as fierce as ever. It launched itself at Tengu, before it and every other card on the field vanished into a bright white light. Tengu yelled at Shadow over the confusion.

"I activated my trap card Chronian's Last Hope! Since I have at least 7 Chronians in my graveyard, every single card in our hand and field are sent to the grave. After that, we both draw one card. So you better hope you're lucky."

Shadow could only laugh as he revealed a quick-play spell from his hand showing many fiends bowing to a throne.

"I activate my Rise of the King card, which can only be activated during the turn an Evil HERO Fusion monster is sent to the graveyard, now by removing 5 HERO monsters from the graveyard, I can summon a might monster. So I banish Avian, Burstinatrix, Effect Devil, Gainer and Gaia in order to summon my ultimate beast, EVIL HERO DEMONIC KING.

Spirits of the deceased monsters floated above the field and were sucked into a large vortex. From there emerged a giant figure. The man was shrouded in darkness but his features were still shown. His face had a fearsome theme to it. He had a long cloak which flew in the wind he created. Finally, a large sword emerged from his left hand, and he took a fighting stance. (12/3800/3800)

The demon then sent a powerful blast at Tengu, knocking him down to one knee, then surprisingly, ran to him and slashed him with the sword, pushing him full down onto his back.

"Let me explain how that just happened." said Shadow. "You see, once per turn, when King deals damage by a direct attack, at the cost of half his attack, he can attack again. To make it even better, his attack returns to normal at the end phase. I'm not done yet. You sent a special monster to my graveyard with your Last Hope trap card, and that card is called Draw Blocker and by removing him from play, I skip your next draw phase. Now take your last turn."

The last two attacks had done a number on Tengu. He still, however, began his turn.

(Shadow: 3200 Tengu: 100)

"Let's end this Shadow. First, I use the effect of Chronian Dark Angel, removing it from play to special summon a Chronian monster but it has it's level doubled. I call out my Chronian Bomb Squad. (4-8/0/0). And when he is summoned, I get to select one monster on the field. When it is destroyed, you take damage equal to it's attack."

Suddenly, the familiar angel reappeared and disappeared into a powerful light, from it emerged a human surrounded by many bombs.

"And I'm not done, I then return my Angel to the grave in order to special summon Chronian Emperor. (8/0/0) I will then overlay my two Level 8 monsters in order to summon my ace. COME ON OUT, CHRONIAN KING!"

Suddenly, a large sorcerer appeared alongside the human, next they both disappeared into a portal similar to when Queen first appeared. From it, a manly counterpart seemed to emerge. His clothes and design seemed to match the Queen exactly. The most notable difference was the large sceptre in his hand. Shadow started to display fear but laughed once the stats were shown. (R8/0/0)

"I wouldn't be laughing yet Shadow, because I am still on a roll. I now use my King's ability. By detaching an Xyz material monster , he gets to destroy all monsters you control. And with that bomb still strapped to your monster, this duel is over. Chronian King, end this duel with Shining Sceptre Blast! Bye Shadow."

Nothing could hide the horror in Shadow's face as he realized what was about to happen. Chronian King charged up his sceptre then released a large black orb that struck the opposing king head on. The dark being exploded in a matter of seconds and the bomb attached to it dropped towards Shadow's feet. In a few seconds, the bomb exploded, ending not only the duel, but the life of Shadow as well. Tengu smiled, he had won.

(Tengu: 100 Shadow: 0)

The trio of spectators ran towards Tengu. The sheer power of this duel had shocked them. They were rendered silent, only moving to help Tengu up.

Z finally spoke. "Tengu, you ok?"

Tengu replied, but weakly. "I'm a little sore, but I'll be ok. Now come inside, we have a lot to talk about."

With that the foursome headed inside the hideout, for a long overdue explanation.

Please read and review!


	2. Explanations

Hi guys. I really need to apologize. Everything that could have went wrong, went wrong. My laptop acted weird, my connection kept on dying. It was murder. I apologize for the shortness but this may seem stupid, the more reviewers I get, the better I become, because I know people are relying on me. I ask you to review to the best of your ability. Here is Chapter 2 of my new fic. Anyway, I think I will answer some reviews.

Sanokal: I am still building Z's archetype because of the size of it, you can see one of his monsters in this chapter though, if you get the reference, you will know the deck.

Z, Jeremy, Tengu and Jessica sat alone in the empty hideout. At one point, the hideout had belonged to two of Z's friends, Nico and West. Their dad was forced to work into the mines due to the fact he had no money. Whenever he came back, which barely happened, he would be too weak to do anything. However, 2 months ago, a revolution had happened. The police arrested just about everyone, and Nico and West were finally reunited with their dad. Soon after that, they left, burying their horrible memories of Crash Town. Their absence had hurt Z, but he vowed to keep their cherished part safe.

Jeremy broke the silence. "So… Tengu, you killed someone… Not really sure what to do here. How are you?"

Z chuckled then spoke. "And they wonder why you don't have a girlfriend Jeremy. I mean seriously, to imitate Chandler Bing, could it BE any more awkward?"

Jessica let out a snort of laughter, despite her best efforts. She then turned towards Tengu. "Tengu, if you don't mind me asking, how did you and these two bozos meet?"

Z was about to let out a sound of protest before Tengu stopped him. "It's a long story Jessica, a long story indeed.

**(Flashback)**

**Two 9 year olds made their way towards their hideout. These 2 kids were Z and Jeremy and they were going to the canyon to duel in quiet. However, as they turned a corner, Z bumped into another boy, who looked like he was the same age as the two friends. The boy spoke.**

"**You aren't getting anywhere boys. My name is Tengu, and I am the best duelist here, any of you duel me and you shall fall."**

**Jeremy didn't like this statement one bit, and dueled the 11 year old, pulling out a win in the end. Once the other boy sunk down in defeat, Jeremy offered his hand. The boy took it happily, and the rest was history.**

**(End Flashback)**

As the three old friends finished their story, a strange spirit rose from behind Tengu. Upon realizing he was looking at Chronian King, Z fell out of his chair. It didn't help that another spirit appeared as he was getting back on his feet, this time emerging from his deck. The man was quite large and had a chin so big that it seemed like it would make him fall over. He wore a strange green suit with a strange sign in the middle, with the title "Q-force" across it.

"Quark? How the bloody hell did you get here, and why are you real? Z spouted this out very fast and glared at Tengu, demanding an explanation.

Tengu opened his mouth and began the long story. "This is why I came here guys. Long ago, back in the times of Ancient Egypt, a mysterious darkness attacked. Even the Pharaoh, whose power was unmatched by many, struggled against this power. Then, 9 legendary beings, each said to have immense power, fought the beasts. It was a long battle, but they eventually won. Legend also said that at one point, darkness would rise again and that the reincarnations of the legendary fighters would have to stand against them today. It also said these people would be identified through their ace monsters, and that a strange symbol would represent them. I am the reincarnation of Tengu Mizaki, psychic of the Duelists of Legend. And I think you guys are the same."

The trio took a moment to absorb these facts, then Jeremy fell over his seat laughing. Jessica and Z quickly followed suit. Jessica was the first to gain the ability to speak.

"So let me get this straight Tengu. You are telling us that we are the reincarnations of some powerful people? And that our destiny is to save the world? Ok, what are you on?" Tengu frowned at this but still continued with what he was saying.

"Believe it or not guys, this thing is true. This upcoming tournament is just a way to find these people. We need a team of four at least. I say we enter the tournament then dominate the place and find these duelists. After that, it is just a matter of time before we face this evil." One look from him told the trio all they needed. He wasn't lying. All 3 gave a silent nod then all 4 began to discuss team tactics.

(Change Scene)

The same room that was full of darkness watched the duel between Shadow and Tengu. The man in the centre let the rage come across his face upon seeing the end of the duel, especially what looked like a sceptre spread across Tengu's chest. In anger, he let loose a sphere of dark power and fired it at his nearest servant. It hit him straight in the chest. The poor boy didn't stand a chance.

"HOW CAN THESE DUELISTS BE BACK! YOU MEN TOLD ME EVERY PRECAUTION HAD BEEN TAKING, AND THAT EACH OF YOUR DECKS WERE PREPARED FOR THE SITUATION. YET LOOK, SHADOW, ONE OF OUR MOST POWERFUL, HAS FALLEN TO A MERE CHILD" His voice echoed across the large room, engulfing anybody in listening distance with his rage. One man stood up in fear.

"Milord…" he trembled. "You must understand, these people seem to be stronger beyond our wilder beliefs. We shall not fail you, milord, I promise that."

The leader let a sick grin cross his face. "You better hope you are right Lucifer, or else you shall meet a fate worse than Shadow's. Now, I remember you telling me of some new servants you acquired?

"Yes Milord, may I introduce the first of our 7 Dark Duelists, Wrath"

A large red flame burst through the room, so bright that it would blind any normal person. However, no one there was normal. Once the fire subsided, a man could be seen. He was covered in blood, wore a large red cloak and had a look of pure rage across his face. His malicious smile would have given Maximillion Pegasus a heart attack.

"And now, Gluttony."

Beside Wrath, a man emerged from an orange flame. He was quite obese, taking up a large portion of the platform he was standing on. His smile seemed more sentimental than Wrath's, but still had a sense of evil towards it.

"Introducing, Lust."

This time, a large pink flame emerged next to Gluttony, and from it, emerged a beautiful woman. Any normal man there would have instantly fallen at her feet. Her smile was seductive, bud the cloaked leader made no movement, uninterested.

"Let's not forget Pride sire."

For the 4th time, a flame appeared, coloured blue. The man emerged with a smug look on his face. Upon looking at the other Dark Duelists, he gave a large sneer, completely confident he was better than them. He then gave a miniscule bow to the men at the front.

"Now, Greed."

A giant black flame rose across the area, and spat out a shifty looking man. His eyes fell upon everyone there, as if wanting something, needing something. A cough from Lucifer seemed to bring his attention back to normal, allowing Lucifer to continue with introductions.

"Meet Envy."

Another large flame appeared, this time green. A young woman emerged from it, seeming almost human. She looked around and saw everyone's powers, giving each and every one a jealous look. However, Lucifer ignored her.

Lucifer gave a groan before introducing the final duelist. "And finally, thought I regret recruiting him, Sloth."

This time, no flame emerged. A platform rose to emerge a resting man, doing nothing of any usefulness. He gave a pathetic attempt at a wave before going to sleep.

The leader gave a malicious grin to rival Wrath's. These fools would fall at his hands, and the world would be his.

(Change Scene)

Z looked out across the dark landscape. He had awoken quite early and had stood at the end of Satisfaction Rock. It was a large cliff with a drop no one would want to take. No matter what, whenever he was mad or confused, this place made Z feel safe. He immediately went on alert when he heard footsteps, only to see it was Jeremy.

Jeremy smiled. "I knew I would find you here, you are completely obsessed newith this rock." He grinned towards his long-time friend. He instantly knew where Z would be. This had been where they were most of time after people first started dueling for Dyne. Even though he wouldn't admit it, this place calmed down Jeremy aswell, and he needed it after the bomb Tengu had dropped.

Z let out an almost sad smile. "It's hard to believe that the only thing I thought about this morning is what clothes I would wear, now I have a burden on my shoulders." After saying what he had to, he turned back, looking across the darkness, tears slowly dripping down his cheeks.

Jeremy noticed his friend's sadness and put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, man. We have a chance to become heroes, like the cards in our decks.

Best mates for life, and that is a promise." He gave Z a friendly hug, then both pulled away from sheer awkwardness .

Z laughed and broke the silence. "To avoid more awkwardness, let's go get some sleep. And tomorrow, we can plan for the tourney" With that said, both friends went to their hideout, for a long overdue rest."

(Next day)

Z woke with a start. He had been having the strangest dream. 7 flames, each a different colour, rose out in front of him. Before he could actually see what emerged, he had awoken. He looked over and saw Jessica looking at him with a look of concern on her face. "You were talking in your sleep, something about sins."

Z's eyes widened, considering that this dream may be a reality. His slow breaths echoed into the silent shack. There was not much he could do, except wait for the next day, when he knew, he would have to talk to Tengu. He closed his eyes, his fears elevated.


	3. Hero's True Heart

**Sorry for the long wait, I was extremely busy with exams.**

**Chapter 3 – Hero's True Heart.**

Z woke up with a start. He had heard something, a bang of some sort. Looking around, it was apparent Jeremy had noticed as well, for his eyes were wide in shock,

'I really don't want to know what this is.' Z muttered, but he moved towards the door nonetheless. And when he did, it felt like one of his nightmares had become a reality.

Z's house was up in flames, and the smoke would have been seen by a dead man. It seemed as if it would never stop, though the fact it was burning wasn't what made Z's heart stand still.

Someone else lived in that house.

Z's grandfather lived in that house.

Klaus was in trouble.

All other thoughts left Z's mind as he began a frantic sprint toward his house, ignoring Jeremy's shouts as he did. Klaus looked after Z, raised him as a son. And hell if Z was going to just let him die.

Z coughed in the black vapor as he slammed the door open. A young, but cloaked, man was standing over Klaus, who was unconscious with a cut across his forehead.

'Good day to you, young man.' The cloaked man said. 'I am Animal and I am here with the offer to take your soul as per orders of my master. Do you accept these terms?'

Z, sweating from the heat, looked down at his unconscious grandfather. If he didn't accept, Klaus could die. He obviously didn't have a choice. 'Alright, I accept your terms, though I will start off our duel.'

Animal didn't respond, bur merely nodded his head as he put on his duel disk, which resembled an eagle's wing.

(Z: 8000) (Animal: 8000)

Z drew vigorously and examined his hand. He let out a small breath before he continued his move.

'Pay attention, you goon. I summon my Galactic HERO - Cronk (3/1700/1000)!'

A blue robot rose in front of Z. The robot appeared to have gone through numerous battles and was greatly damaged from the battle. However, he still gave a salute to Z, who returned it with a smirk.

'That's not all because I'll then play the Spell card Robot Reinforcement! See, if I control either Cronk or his pal Zephyr, I get to summon the other from my Deck. Now rise, Galactic HERO - Zephyr (3/1700/900)!'

A wormhole appeared next to Cronk before another robot emerged before it, this time red. The bot looked younger, yet it still bore many wounds from previous battles. As his Robot partner did before him, Zephyr gave a salute to Z, smirking as his master saluted back. Z took another card from his hand.

'I then play a Continuous spell card known as Barrier of Brothers! Since I control both these Robots, you can't select either of them as attack target. I'll then play two face-downs and call it a turn.'

The two rusty robots gave a high five before a large barrier encircled them. Behind the barrier, two brown backed cards appeared.

Animal went to draw his card, only to be hit by two blasts from Cronk's gun. He also noticed Zephyr firing a small gun that seemed to replenish Z.

'Surprised?' said Z, smirking as he heard Animal growl. 'That's just a few effects my robots get to use during my end phase. You see, Cronk deals you damage equal to the number of Galactic HEROes on my side of the field x300, while Zephyr is the same, except he replenishes my life instead.'

(Z: 8600) (Animal: 7400)

Animal growled once again before drawing his card. 'I summon a monster known as Forbidden Beast Boa Bolan (4/1700/1000).'

A dinosaur, small, but a dinosaur, appeared in front of Animal. Its lack of arms were the first thing Z noticed, followed shortly by the spiked collar and the helmet.

Animal chuckled at his opponent's puzzled expression. 'The Forbidden Beasts are a very interesting archetype. You see, their abilities are only unlocked when a certain spell card is active. Luckily I have it. Go, Forbidden Mantra!'

A tome appeared next to Animal. It burst open and flowed energy towards the Dinosaur. It let out a large roar as it became stronger.

'And to top things off, I activate the spell card Roar of the Beasts. Now, by skipping my battle phase, I choose a monster on either side of the field, they are forced to battle, but neither monster is destroyed. Also, since it technically isn't an attack, your barrier won't help you! Battle!'

Z was astonished, this battle was completely pointless. He was even more astonished when Zephyr, the bot chose to battle, blew up.

Animal's smile, widened. 'I told you the Beasts became more powerful with Mantra. You see, Boa's hidden ability is that when he battles a monster, the monster is destroyed without a worry. So feel free to fight now!' His laugh stopped when he saw that both of Z's cards were flipped up, and that the barrier was gone. It was Z's turn to smirk.

'Surprised? Let me break it down for you. First, when either Cronk or Zephyr is destroyed, the Barrier dies as well. Next up, I activated Galactic Sacrifice, which, upon the destruction of a Galactic Monster, let's me tribute another Galactic HERO to draw cards equal to its level. So say bye bye to Cronk and hello to 3 new cards.'

Cronk gave a final salute before disappearing into a giant light and letting Z draw 3 cards. The continued smirk made Animal realize Z still had one card left.

'And then there's Galactic Forces, which I can activate if a Galactic HERO is destroyed by a card effect. Now I get to Special Summon a Galactic HERO, and Galactic HERO – Ranger Alpha is the choice for me!'

A small teleported appeared, before giving off a bright light. As Animal was finally able to see, a greater robot emerged. It seemed to have a gun for a hand, and had a single orange eye. It was interesting to say the least. (3/1400/1100)

Animal let out a growl that could easily match his own name. 'So you got a few more cards and another card to scrap. I'll end with a face down.'

Z drew and smirked again as he examined his hand. 'This is really too easy. I summon my Galactic HERO – General Azimuth (3/1300/1500)'

One of the strangest things Animal would ever see appeared in front of him. It was a tall man, except he wasn't human. By looking at his head, it was completely white, except for the ears, which had a red and white pattern. He also has a red goatee. His armor was similar to Alpha's, though seemed a tad more imitating due to his weapon. It was a large wrench. Double ended and glowing, it gave off quite the impression.

'I'll now play Galactic Repairs. Now, I bring back any monsters sent to the grave last turn. They can't attack or use their effects though. Cronk, Zephyr, come on back!'

The two bots reappeared, giving a salute to their teammates and to Z. What Animal noticed however was that Azimuth had raised his weapon, and it was pointed straight at him!

'Oh and one more thing. When any number of Galactic HEROes are summoned, Azimuth inflicts 500 damage for each monster summoned. Go, Electric Shock!'

Azimuth released two balls of electricity that tore towards Animal. Both hit him straight in the chest, causing him to fall down to one knee.

(Z: 8600) (Animal: 6400)

Z placed another card in his duel disk. 'Galactic Destruction now activates, which allows me to destroy a card for every 2 Galactic HERO cards on my field. So say bye to Boa and Mantra.'

Bombs collided with Boa and he was destroyed instantly. Bombs then flew towards the tome, but a large force field defended it. Animal chuckled again.

'I activated the trap Barrier of the Ancient Codex, which prevents Mantra from being destroyed. Worth a go though. I also draw one card upon activation. Is that all?'

Z growled and clenched his teeth. He wasn't done though. 'Azimuth, Alpha, attack!'

The warrior and robot both launched their attack upon Animal. The robot fired out its gun, the blast striking Animal in the stomach. The warrior then proceeded to follow with an uppercut, sending Animal crashing to the ground

(Z: 8600) (Animal: 3700)

'I end my turn.'

Animal was furious at how easily he was being countered. He didn't care what his masters wanted anymore, he was going to kill this boy. He drew with all his might and laughed hysterically.

'You will die soon! I activate the effect of Forbidden Beast Nunurao, which may be Special Summoned while I control a face-up Forbidden Mantra! Arise! (2/500/800)'

A smaller version of Boa Bolan appeared. Z tried to take note of it but became distracted by Animal's frantic moves.

'I then play Cost Down, discarding a card to lower the level of all monsters in my hand by two! I now sacrifice to summon Forbidden Beast Nibunu! (8/2700/2000)'

A beast, an enormous one, rose to the field. It was a great dinosaur, black armor with spikes surrounding its body. Z stepped back in fear but managed to regain his composure. Animal laughed at the evident fear.

'You should be scared, because I'm activating the effect of Nibunu. When he's Normal Summoned while I control Mantra, I get to revive one Forbidden Beast monster. I'll revive the monster I lost with Cost Down, my second Nibunu!'

Z had only a moment to calculate the problem before a second Dinosaur appeared. This escalated his fear in what was happening and he wished this nightmare would end. Animal however, inserted the last card into his duel disk.

'I now activate Forbidden Virus! Since I control Mantra and at least two Forbidden Beasts, I get to declare a Type. All cards of that Type are destroyed! All your warriors are dead! Bwahahaha!'

A large germ washed over Z's field. Each Warrior gave a final salute to Z before being consumed by the virus. Animal gave a laugh that was cut short all of a sudden. 'What is that blasted Ranger still doing here?'

Z gave a smirk as another ranger appeared next to him. 'This isn't Alpha though. When Alpha is destroyed by one of your cards, I get to Special Summon a certain guy in attack mode. Meet Galactic HERO – Ranger Beta (4/1500/1200). And by the way, when Beta is summoned this way I draw a card'

As Z added yet another card into his hand, Animal roared in fury. 'You little worm! Nibunu, attack Beta with Forbidden Claw!'

The towering dinosaur destroyed the mere robot, which was replaced by a second one.

(Z: 7400) (Animal: 3700)

'Beta's second effect is the same as Alpha. So say hello to Galactic HERO – Ranger Gamma (4/1600/1300), and upon his summon, you discard one card. That won't work since your hand is empty though.'

Animal didn't even have to speak before the second dinosaur stomped the third robot, bringing a 4th one.

(Z: 6300) (Animal: 3700)

'And now Delta is summoned (4/1700/1400) and his special effect is the destruction of one of your cards, I choose your codex!'

The ranger threw a bomb at the force field, which exploded. Animal, once again frustrated, ended his turn.

Z snapped the top card of his deck. He then held up a singular card. 'I can raise hell with this one card.' The smirk never left his face as he inserted it into his duel disk.

'I activate the spell Similar Bonds. This card allows me to select two monsters with the same attack and then Special Summon them. So arise, my fallen bots, Cronk and Zephyr!'

For the third time that duel, the two bots rose to the field, smirking as they did. Animal growled in frustration.

'Why do you continue to do this? It is a very small effort on my part to win.'

Z's smirk was wider than ever. 'Did I mention Cronk was a tuner?'

This new information seemed to have shocked Animal to his core. When he next spoke, it was through clenched teeth. 'It doesn't matter, you foolish boy. I have two grand monsters.'

Z closed his eyes as he listened to his opponent. 'Those monsters are grand but let me tell you something, you furball.' He snapped open his eyes to give Animal a deadly glare. 'Mine are better! I tune both my monsters together to summon Galactic HERO – Talwyn! (6/2300/1400)'

As both robots disappeared into a bright light, a figure emerged. It was a woman, not quite tall. She had small brown boots and a green top with white sleeves. A bandana encircled her head and a small gun was in her right hand. Though this mall went quite unnoticed due to the fact that she had a tail. Z continue with his move.

'When she's summoned I get to add a 'Galactic Weapon' card to my hand. I choose Galactic Weapon – Double Combustor and immediately equip it to her. Go!

Talwyn threw away her weapon only to have it replaced by two medium-sized guns (6/2300/1400) (6/3000/1400)

'Talwyn, attack Nibunu with Combustion Shot!'

The young warrior fired one of her guns at the first dinosaur, shattering it instantly.

(Z: 6300) (Animal: 3400)

Animal was panting slightly, and his eyes widened as a second shot hit his other dinosaur.

(Z: 6300) (Animal: 3100)

Z was laughing. 'The monster equipped with Double Combustor can attack twice every battle phase. I'll play this face down and call it a turn.' A brown backed card appeared behind the feminine fighter.

Animal drew in full anger. 'I play the Spell Card The Body's Hidden Mantra! Since I control a Forbidden Mantra, I get to draw a card for every 'Forbidden Beast' in my graveyard, and I count 4.'

Animal drew his next cards vigorously and chuckled to himself as he revealed a second Hidden Mantra, drawing yet another 4. With a hand of 7, he was definitely smirking.

'I activate Secret Summon! Now I can Special Summon a monster from my graveyard, but treat it as a Normal Summon. So Nibunu rises once again, which of course activate its effect to bring back its duplicate.'

Two matching dinosaurs again rose to the field to fight. Z was puzzled, though his heart stood on standby when Animal revealed another two cards in his hand.

'I activate Polymerization, fusing my 3 cards Nibunus together to summon NiNiNi, Lord of the Forbidden Beasts!'

The 3 identical dinosaurs fused together, and what emerged was terrifying. It must have been 50 feet tall, and it hard great claws, covered in metal armor. It was pretty much heart attack worthy. (10/4000/0)

'And then I activate his effect. It's a powerful one too. I get to destroy all Monsters on your side of the field and for each one destroyed, he gains 500 attack for each destroyed. Ultimate Annihilation, Activate!'

The great beast let out a massive stomp, destroying the Ranger and the female warrior instantly. Z spoke up upon their destruction. 'When Delta is destroyed, I add Galactic Ranger – Captain Omega to my hand.'

Animal snorted at the move. 'No matter, My monster is now at 5000, and to make it worse, I activate Forbidden Blade, which increases my monster's attack by 800 and makes him indestructible from card effects. The next card is Forbidden Shield, which prevents him from being destroyed by battle and also negates any damage.'

A sword and shield now appeared for the beast. In a way, it looked like a knight (10/5000/0) (10/5800/0)

'Attack with Forbidden Flame!' was all Z heard before he felt so much unbearable pain. He had to withstand it though, he had to.

(Z: 500) (Animal: 3100)

'You will die soon human. I set two cards and end my turn.'

Z was terrified now. His face down was simply a card that allowed his monster to gain 500 if it is attacked. But that was useless. He needed this next card, more than ever. He snapped off his next card, and his eyes widened.

It was time to end this.

'Alright, Animal. Since I have 4 different Rangers in my grave, I get to bring out the big guns. Go, Galactic HERO – Ranger Omega. (7/2500/1700)

A tall robot appeared, though it was still dwarfed by the great beast.

'I now activate his effect, banishing Alpha in order to destroy your two face-downs! Destruction Mode, activate!'

The robot changed into a large cannot, firing two shots, each of which hit the brown cards. Animal chose this moment to intervene.

'One of the cards you destroyed was Forbidden Activation. And when it's destroyed, I get to set a card, I choose my Mirror Force.'

Z merely shrugged and continued. 'I activate Galactic Modulation. I now choose a level and one of my monsters. My monster becomes that level and I then get to Special Summon that monster. I choose Level 2 and Special Summon Galactic HERO – Zoni (2/300/200)'

An odd little creature appeared. It had a purple head with big blue eyes. Upon its summon, it started to glow, shouting 'Zoni' over and over again.

'Let me explain. First off, Zoni is a Tuner. Second of all, when he's summoned I get to Special Summon two more Zoni, except they are not treated as Tuners. Go, Zoni Calling!'

The humanoid creature glowed brighter than ever and from the light, two more humanoids emerged.

'Now get ready, 'cause all 4 of my monsters are going for this Synchro! I tune them all together!'

The first humanoid disappeared into two green rings, which encircled the other two as well as the robot. A bright light blinded Animal as the Synchro went on.

'I Synchro Summon my favourite card, Galactic HERO – Legendary Lombax Ratchet! (8/2500/2000)'

A creature similar to Azimuth appeared. This time though, it was a tan yellow. It had a black suit of armor, and a tail protruding out the end. It held a wrench in its hand and glared at Animal.

Z smiled upon seeing his monster. It gave him a nice sense of warmth.

'When he's summoned, I get to add a Galactic card to my hand. I add, and activate, Galactic Gadget – Slingshot.'

A small grappling hook of some sort appeared on Ratchet's arm. Animal also noticed a large green orb appearing in the sky.

'This is it Animal. I activate the final card in defeating you. Galactic Weapon – Omniwrench!'

A wrench, larger than Ratchet's, appeared on the field. Ratchet smirked before grabbing it.

'This gives my monster 1000 extra attack. (8/3500/2000) I now enter my battle phase. Ratchet, attack with Wrench Smash!'

Animal stared dumbstruck at Ratchet, and his eyes widened as the grappling hook shot out for the orb in the sky.

'The monster equipped with Slingshot can attack directly. Game over!'

Animal was panicking now. Though he flipped Mirror Force nonetheless, only to have his card short circuit with a blast from Ratchet's wrench. Z smirked for the last time in this duel.

'Ratchet's effect allows me to discard a card to prevent the activation of a spell or trap card. It can only be used once per turn, but I only need it once. Sayonara.'

Ratchet finally dropped next to Animal and delivered an uppercut via the wrench. Animal fell backwards onto the ground, unconscious.

(Z: 500) (Animal: 0)

As the monsters dematerialized, Z felt himself slipping out of consciousness himself. As he fell to the ground, he heard his name being called, and Z knew no more.

**Thanks for reading guys, and tell me what you think!**


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